Pentecost 22A

Easter Day

A= pril 12, 2009

Rev. Ken Wratten at St. Stephen’s, San Jose=

Acts 10:34-43 &= nbsp; Peter testifies that faith in Jesus is available to everyone.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24&n= bsp;

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 By the gra= ce of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me has not been in vain.

John 20:1-18 &nbs= p; = Mary Magdalene first sees Jesus raised from the dead.

<= o:p>

Palm Sunday seems like an event in the distant past. I remember a large crowd ga= thered outside our front door, waving palms and singing Hosanna, as we marched aro= und the parking area to begin our service. And then the ground feel out from un= der us as the Gospel lesson told the story of Jesus’ arrest, passion, and death. For those who also attended the Holy Week services, we zoomed in to = take a close look at the Last Supper, foot washing, and prayers at Gethsemane. We suspended time to consider the life lessons available in each station of= the cross, as Jesus made his way to . And last night at the Vigil, we felt the news of Jesus’ new resurrected life spark a new fire of faith, that spread to ignite flames of excitement over a fresh start, a new life, even a resurrec= ted life in each of us. We are an Easter people!

What does it really mean; to be an Easter people? What does all of this ceremony= and effort do to change things? H= ow does it help you and me get through life with a sense of purpose and accomplishment and value? Well, we’ve been studying that question throughout Lent. And the answer is this thing called Grace.

The Christian life doesn’t make sense at all unless you understand grace. It is the heart of our relationship with God. By understanding grace, you feel closer to God, you understand God’s love better, and you live each day with gratefulness to God. <= /p>

God’s grace comes to us through Christ.

God’s grace is available to every one of you, right here and right now.

God’s grace saves you for God, saves you for heaven, and saves you for eternity.

Grace sustains you when you are tempted, by giving you the power to resist. =

Grace sustains you when you are tired, by rallying the strength to do the right thing. This is when you feel a power working in you that is beyond your own strength.

Grace sustains you when you are worried (keeping your ‘worry space’ f= ull), by trusting to depend on God’s grace to help you through your trouble= s. This is when you feel that peace that doesn’t make any sense, but you feel= it none the less.

Grace makes you acceptable, and personally chosen by God. (Romans 15:7) Nothing y= ou do or don’t do determines God’s acceptance of you. He just does= .

Grace makes you valuable, and even precious to God. (Isaiah 43:4)

Grace makes you lovable to God, and forgiven by God; just the way you are. <= /o:p>

And Grace makes you capable; ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’=

In God’s eyes you are accepted, valuable, loved, forgiven, and capable of fulfilling the purpose God created you for.

Every one of these characteristics of God’s Grace is defined = in Holy Scripture. They are promises to us. And they do not depend on what you= do, or how hard you work at it, or how close to perfect you are. This is God’s free gift. Free to you, because the price for Grace was paid by Jesus Christ.

John 1:17 says, "The law was given through Moses, but grace and tru= th came through Jesus Christ." John is saying that you don'= t get God's grace, this power and ability to do the right thing, to make it in li= fe, to be sustained, or to become what God meant for you to be in the first pla= ce, through rituals, or rules, or laws. You get this thing called grace through= a relationship with Jesus Christ.

(Romans 5:1= 1) "Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God, all because of what = our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins making us friends of God." Paul explains that grace came to us because of what Jesus has d= one in dying for our sins. The way we get grace is = by trusting Christ.

So grace is in our life free of charge, through what Jesus did; not through anything you or I did, but through what Jesus did. Then Scripture s= ays, "So we beg you, do not let the grace you receive from God be for nothing." 2 Corinthians 6:1

The Bible tells us there are things you and I should be doing with= our life to make this gift of God's grace matter.

1. Make your life count.

In our read= ing today from 1 Corinthians Paul says, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain." There is a challenge here for you a= nd me to live our lives so that every evening, when we think about what we’= ve done that day; the people we’ve talked with; the errands we’ve = run; the help we’ve asked God to give us; how we have reacted to what life threw at us; that we can say what Paul said;

“By the grace of God I am what I am,

and his grace toward me has not been in vain.”

Jesus promised that where he was going, he would make a place for u= s, and someday we will go to be with him too. Today is about Jesus, and today = is about that promise he made to us. Make your life count. <= /p>

2. Share the Good News of Go= d’s Grace.

Acts 20:24 says, "The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the = work that the Lord Jesus gave me -- to tell people the Good News about God's grace."

God gave you this precious life for a purpose. Each of you is beautifully unique, and God has a mission that only you can fulfill. But part of that mission, once you step across the line of faith, is to tell other people about God’s gr= ace; to share how a life of faith in Him forgives, sustains, and empowers you to= do more than you can do on our own.

When friends ask why,

Instead of letting mistakes you make pull you down, you are forgiven and move on-that’s grace;

Being happy today, because you feel truly loved – that’s grace; =

You feel capable to conquer the day-that’s grace

The way to = show our gratitude for the Grace of God is by making our own lives count, and by= sharing with other people that this gift of grace is available to every single human being. And all we have to do = to receive Grace, is to claim our faith in Jesus Christ.

And our fai= th in Jesus Christ is assured, absolute, and rock solid,

because the cave is empty;

Jesus is on= the loose;

Alleluia, Christ is risen= . The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia. Amen.